20 Native Lizards In Florida

According to the Florida Museum, there are 68 types of lizards in Florida. 20 species are native to Florida, while 48 are non-native. The species native to Florida include several types of skinks and glass lizards. You’re likely to recognize which lizards are not native to Florida. They’ll look different than these, small, slender-bodied lizards.

Common Lizards Of Florida

1. Green Anole (Anolis Carolinensis)

The green anole is a small lizard that grows about 5 – 8 in (12 – 20 cm) in length. Depending on environmental conditions, it can change its skin to brown or green. The males have a pinkish fan on their throat. They display it to attract mates and to defend territories.

These lizards are common in the wild, but they also make good pets.

2. Six-Lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata)

The six-lined racerunner is black in color. It has six white or light yellow stripes running down its back. A moderate-sized lizard, it grows to about 6 – 9.5 in (15 – 24 cm) in length. An incredibly fast ground-dweller, it is difficult to catch.

3. Eastern Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus longicaudus)

With its long body growing to about 22 – 42 in (62 – 107 cm) long, the eastern slender glass lizard looks like a snake. Glass lizards have no legs. But, they differ from snakes because their jaws are not flexible. Also, unlike snakes, they have external ear openings, and they have moveable eyelids. The eastern slender glass lizard has a slim body and brown to yellow coloration.

4. Island Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus compressus)

The island glass lizard is smaller, growing to about 15 – 24 in (38 – 61 cm). It is brown and yellow in color. It’s set apart from other glass lizards because of the long, dark stripe that runs down each side of its body.

5. Mimic Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus mimicus)

The mimic glass lizard is also on the smaller side, growing to about 15 – 26 in (38 – 66 cm) in length. Their bodies are brown or yellow in color. They differ from other glass lizards because of the dark stripes that run down the sides of their bodies.

6. Eastern Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis)

One of the larger glass lizards, the eastern glass lizard will grow to about 18 – 43 in (46 – 108 cm). They are also brown or yellow in color. Unlike some of the other glass lizards, they do not have dark stripes or markings down their bodies. Instead, they have several vertical white stripes that sit behind the head.

7. Coal Skink (Plestiodon anthracinus)

Coal skinks are small, only growing to about 5 – 7 in (12.5 – 18 cm) in length. They have long, slender bodies with short legs. Their bodies are gray to brown with two white or yellow stripes along each side of their body. They’re set apart from other skinks because they don’t have a stripe down the center of their back.

8. Florida Keys Mole Skink (Plestiodon egregius egregius)

The Florida Keys Mole Skink is one of the rarest lizards native to Florida. They are small, only growing to about 5 in (12.7 cm) in length. Their scales are reddish-brown in color and shiny. Their body becomes more red down the body, ending with a tail that is bright red. They are hard to find because they burrow under sand, leaves, rocks, and debris to hide.

9. Cedar Key Mole Skink (Plestiodon egregius insularis)

The cedar key mole skink is brown and orange in color. They have two light stripes that run the length of their body on either side. They are a smaller species whose body grows to about 5.9 in (15 cm) in length.

The cedar key mole skink has the smallest distribution of any native Florida lizard. They live on seven small islands near Cedar Key that are in the Gulf of Mexico.

10. Bluetail Mole Skink (Plestiodon egregius lividus)

The bluetail mole skink is a slightly larger skink that can grow up to 5.1 in (13 cm) in length. Their bodies are brownish pink with shiny scales. As juveniles, their tails are blue. As they age, their tail becomes more pink.

11. Peninsula Mole Skink (Plestiodon egregius onocrepis)

Not much is known about these lizards. But, their bodies are brownish-yellow like the rest of the mole skinks in their family. They have a whitish-yellow stripe that runs from the top of either eye to just above their front legs. Their tail is dark red.

12. Northern Mole Skink (Plestiodon egregius similis)

Not much is known about the northern mole skink, either. Like the other mole skinks, its body is brown to yellow in color with a bright, red tail.

13. Common Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)

The common five-lined skink is a small lizard that grows to about 5 – 8.5 in (12.5 – 21.5 cm). It has a thicker body, slim tail, and short legs. The body is gray, brown, or black. There are two white or yellow lines down either side of the body, and one line down the center of the back. Juveniles have a bright blue tail that fades with age. Adult males often loose their striping. But, they develop a reddish-orange color on their head.

14. Southeastern Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus)

The southern five-lined skink is another smaller lizard that grows to about 5 – 8.5 in (12.5 – 21.5 cm) in length. Their coloration is the same as the common five-lined skink. The two species are only distinguishable upon close examination. The southeastern five-lined skink does not have enlarged scales under the tail. The common five-lined skink does.

15. Broadhead Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)

The broadhead skink is slightly larger than the other skinks, growing to about 6 – 13 in (15 – 33 cm) in length. Their colration is the same as the common five-lined and southeastern five-lined skink. They are distinguishable from the other two species when they become adults. Adult broadhead skinks fade to a uniform brown or black color, although males have an orange head.

16. Florida Sand Skink (Plestiodon reynoldsi)

The Florida sand skink is a small lizard that grows to about 4-5 in (10-13 cm) in length. Their bodies are long and slim, resembling that of a snake’s. They are a light gray to tan color. Despite looking like snakes, they do have four legs, but they are miniscule. The front legs only have one toe while the back legs have two toes.

17. Florida Worm Lizard (Rhineura floridana)

The Florida worm lizard gets its name because of its lack of limbs. Its body is also pale pink in color, and they have no external eyes or ear openings. They are the only living species of the Rhineuridae family.

18. Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi)

The Florida scrub lizard has overlapping scales that make its skin appear and feel rough. The body is brown with a dark stripe running from the side of the neck to the tail. There are 8-10 wavy stripes along the backside of the lizard. Males have a blue patch rimmed with black on either side of their throat and the belly.

19. Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis)

Ground skinks are small lizards who grow to about 3 – 5.5 in (7.5 – 14.5 cm) in length. They have slim bodies, long tails, and short legs. Their bodies may be a lighter golden brown or a darker brown. Some individuals almost appear black. Most individuals are lighter in color with a dark stripe running along either side of the body.

20. Reef Gecko (Sphaerodactylus notatus)

The reef gecko is a tiny lizard that only grows to about 2-2.25 in (5.1-5.7 cm) in length. Their bodies are round, and they have long tails. The scales are large and overlap, creating a keeled texture. Their bodies are generally a medium brown color covered in dark spots. The females have three dark stripes along their heads.

Are There Invasive Lizard Species In Florida?

According to the University of Florida, an invasive species is “ a plant or animal that is moved from its native area to another and causes economic or environmental harm to the new area.”
Invasive animals may be introduced to a new area for many reasons. This is sometimes intentional, but is often unintentional. In Florida, most of the invasive lizard species come from the pet trade. Pet owners decide that they can’t or won’t take care of their pets anymore, so they release them into the wild.

A few of Florida’s invasive lizard species include:

• Brown anoles
• Knight anoles
• Nile monitor
• Brown Basilisk
• Argentine Black and White Tegu
• House Gecko

Why Are Lizards In Florida Falling Out Of Trees?

During the winter of 2022, Florida residents experienced iguanas falling from trees. But, the lizards weren’t dead.

Green Iguanas are cold-blooded. Their body temperatures rely on the temperature of the surrounding air. When the temperatures drop below 40°F (4.4°C), their bodies slow down and they become immobile.

Last winter, Florida experienced an unusually cold winter. This caused Iguanas to fall from trees. Stacey Cohen, a reptile expert at Palm Beach Zoo in Florida said:
“Their bodies basically start to shut down where they lose their functions and so they are up in the trees on the branches sleeping and then because it gets so cold, they lose that ability to hang on and then they do fall out of trees a lot.”

Although the extreme cold was dangerous to the lizards, most of them survived the winter

Conclusion

Many of the lizards of Florida look similar to each other with long, slender bodies. At first glance, you’re even likely to mistake these lizards for snakes.  

There are 20 types of native Florida lizards. But, you can find a total of 68 lizard species in Florida. Because of the pet trade, there are more non-native lizard species in Florida than native.

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